Telecommunication entities in which information (e.g., messages of a caller from the fixed network or mobile radio network, so-called caller messages) is stored or can be stored are normally either call answering facilities that are separate or used in conjunction with a telephone on the user side, or T-Net boxes or mobile Voice Mail boxes that are rented from the network operator. These entities normally include a remote request functionality for requesting the stored information or messages from a remote telecommunication device. In earlier call answering facilities assigned to the fixed network, specially designed manual transmitters were used for this purpose in order to implement the remote request functionality as described in WO 95/05046.
However, as a result of the increasing construction of mobile radio networks, the associated widespread use of mobile radio telephones or so-called mobile phones, and the introduction of cordless telephones that operate with the fixed network, two developments leading to a modified remote request scenario have emerged in relation to the remote request of stored information or messages. Firstly, in particular in the field of mobile radio, the use of information or message storage facilities or so-called boxes (T-Net box in the fixed network and mobile Voice Mail box in the mobile radio network), which are managed by the network operator and can be rented by the user. Secondly, the trend away from the manual transmitters to remote request of information or messages stored in one of the aforementioned telecommunication entities. How this modified remote request scenario, which must also ascribed to the prior art, appears in relation to the fixed network and the mobile radio network, as well as how in principle the information/messages can be remotely requested, are illustrated with reference to message flow diagrams in FIGS. 1 and 2.
More specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates the sequence, within a fixed network, of a remote request of information that is stored in a telecommunication entity TKE′. The entity TKE′ can have the form of a call answering facility or T-Net box. The information is stored by the user of a telecommunication device TKG, which can be designed, e.g., as a fixed network telephone or cordless telephone, in accordance with the prior art. In an initial state AZ, the remote request of information INF, which is stored in the telecommunication entity TKE′, is started in the telecommunication device TKG′ by the user of the telecommunication device TKG′ as a requester. To this end, the telecommunication device TKG′ goes “OFF HOOK.” The information INF which is stored in the telecommunication entity TKE′ is, for example, a message of a caller who has attempted in vain to contact the fixed network subscriber corresponding to the telecommunication entity TKE′. The information INF can also contain any type of text, audio, and/or video information in general.
As a result of the start of the user remote request, i.e., in the “OFF HOOK” state of the telecommunication device TKG′, the telecommunication device TKG′ establishes a connection to the telecommunication entity TKE′ and transmits “Call Setup” information CSI to the telecommunication entity TKE′. As a result of transmitting the “Call Setup” information CSI, the telecommunication entity TKE′ likewise goes “OFF HOOK” in a first subsequent state FZ1, whereby the telecommunication device TKG′ and the telecommunication entity TKE′ are connected together. After this, a time t=tx is monitored by the telecommunication device TKG′ in a second subsequent state FZ2. During this time t=tx, the user of the telecommunication device TKG′ has the possibility of using the connection which has been established to the telecommunication entity TKE′. If the established connection is not used by the user of the telecommunication device TKG′ within this time t=tx, the connection to the telecommunication entity TKE′ is cleared down.
In a third subsequent state FZ3, i.e., within the monitored time t=tx, a control code SC for the remote request is entered by the user of the telecommunication device TKG′. This control code SC is the number “9” in the case of the known Siemens cordless telephones of the “GIGASET” brand. The number can be entered via the telephone keypad. Following the input of the control code SC, this is transmitted from the telecommunication device TKG′ to the telecommunication entity TKE′ via the established connection. The request of the information INF that is stored in the telecommunication entity TKE′ is controlled by means of the transmission of the control code SC.
After the telecommunication entity TKE′ has received and checked the control code SC, the telecommunication entity TKE′ transmits the requested information INF via the established connection to the telecommunication device TKG′. The transmitted information INF is output for the user in the telecommunication device TKG′. In this case, the output of the information INF can be acoustic and/or visual. However, the output will preferably correspond to the form in which the stored information INF is present in the telecommunication entity TKE′. If the stored information INF is a caller message, for example, this will be output acoustically by way of playback. After the information INF has been output to the user, both the telecommunication device TKG′ and the telecommunication entity TKE′ go “ON HOOK” in a fourth subsequent state FZ4, whereby the connection between the telecommunication device TKG′ and the telecommunication entity TKE′ is cleared down again.
FIG. 2 illustrates the sequence, within a mobile radio network, of a remote request of information which is stored in a telecommunication entity TKE′. The entity TKE′ can have the form of a mobile Voice Mail box. The information is stored by the user of a telecommunication device TKG′, which can be designed, e.g., as a mobile radio telephone as per the GSM or UMTS standard, in accordance with the prior art. In an initial state AZ, the remote request of information INF, which is stored in the telecommunication entity TKE′, is started in the telecommunication device TKG′ by the user of the telecommunication device TKG′ as a requester. To this end, the telecommunication device TKG′ goes “OFF HOOK” The information INF which is stored in the telecommunication entity TKE′ is, for example, a message of a caller who has attempted in vain to contact the mobile radio network subscriber corresponding to the telecommunication entity TKE′. The information INF can also contain any type of text, audio, and/or video information in general.
As a result of the start of the user remote request (i.e. in the “OFF HOOK” state of the telecommunication device TKG′) the telecommunication device TKG′ establishes a connection to the telecommunication entity TKE′ and transmits “Call Setup” information CSI to the telecommunication entity TKE′. As a result of transmitting the “Call Setup” information CSI, the telecommunication entity TKE′ likewise goes “OFF HOOK” in a first subsequent state FZ1, whereby the telecommunication device TKG′ and the telecommunication entity TKE′ are connected together.
After this, the telecommunication entity TKE′ transmits the requested information INF via the established connection to the telecommunication device TKG′. The transmitted information INF is output for the user in the telecommunication device TKG′. In this case, the output of the information INF can be acoustic and/or visual. However, the output will preferably correspond to the form in which the stored information INF is present in the telecommunication entity TKE′. If the stored information INF is a caller message, for example, this will be output acoustically by means of playback. After the information INF has been output to the user, both the telecommunication device TKG′ and the telecommunication entity TKE′ go “ON HOOK” in a second subsequent state FZ2, whereby the connection between the telecommunication device TKG′ and the telecommunication entity TKE′ is cleared down again.
The invention addresses the problem of simplifying the remote request of information which is stored in a telecommunication entity from the perspective of the requester, improving the ease of use of the remote request, and if necessary reducing the costs of the remote request.